1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a carriage apparatus for positioning a selected stablized mask of a plurality of stabilized masks between a substrate and a source and more particularly to a carriage apparatus having a mask supporting frame for supporting at least two stabilized masks for lateral movement along a predetermined path between a first position and second position wherein at least one of the two stabilized masks is positioned between a substrate and a source at a working station. The carriage apparatus is utilized for indexing a selected stabilized mask from a plurality of stabilized masks between a substrate and a source in a vacuum deposition process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the prior art to form thin film magnetic transducers by use of vapor deposition techniques. Examples of thin film transducers so produced are disclosed in Gibson U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,191,983 and 4,143,458, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In fabrication of thin film magnetic transducers, it is common to form a pair of magnetic pole piece layers having deposited coils forming a coil winding therebetween and the two pole pieces which may have one or more layers per pole piece, having an interim gap formed therebetween. The gap is utilized for a transducing gap adapted to be positioned adjacent a recording media. In fabrication of the pole piece layers and one or more winding layers, any one of several techniques can be used in order to precisely control the width, length, depth and registration of the various layers relative to the prior deposited and post deposited layers. Typical of a magnetic transducer formed using such technique is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,868 to Lazzari.
It is also known in the art to form a multi-track thin film magnetic transducer having a plurality of vapor deposited thin film transducers formed of a pair of magnetic pole pieces and windings therebetween. Typical of such transducers are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,688 to Nomura et al.
In the fabrication of the thin film magnetic transducers disclosed by the above-referenced Patents, it is known in the art to utilize a mask for controlling the pattern of deposited material onto a substrate during a deposition process.
One known prior art apparatus for forming thin film magnetic transducers of a plurality of vapor deposited layers utilizes a mask support assembly having a plurality of aligned apertures each of which support a mask having predetermined patterns formed therein. In fabrication of this type of thin film magnetic transducers, it is necessary to carry out the vapor deposition in a vacuum chamber. Accordingly, apparatus which is adapted to transport the mask support assembly having the mask thereon must be located in the vacuum chamber in order to position a selected mask between a vapor deposition source and a substrate. It is known in the art to index the mask support assembly having a plurality of masks to position a selected mask adjacent a substrate. The mechanism for indexing a selected mask from a plurality of masks in the mask support assembly also performs the function of aligning the mask to the substrate. In fabricating this type of thin film magnetic transducers, it is necessary that precise registration occur between the mask and the substrate so that registration and positioning of deposited layers can be accurately controlled.
Other known techniques for fabricating thin film magnetic transducers include applying layers of preselected materials onto a substrate by use of known vacuum deposition, sputtering, plating, or chemical vapor deposition and then to selectively remove portions of the so formed layer by use of photo-lithographic techniques. In use of photo-lithographic techniques, the photo-resist material is coated onto the metallic thin film formed on the substrate by vacuum deposition, sputtering, plating or chemical vapor deposition processes. The photo-resist material is developed to form a photo-resist with a predetermined pattern wherein portions of the thin film layer to be removed are exposed and subjected to a chemical etching solution resulting in each layer of material in the thin film produced transducer having patterns of a preselected length, width, and depth in geometrical shape as determined by the photo-resist pattern formed thereon. One such method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,995 to Hanazono et al.
A variation of this use of a photo-resist layer may include applying a layer of photo-resist material onto a substrate and forming apertures through the layer corresponding to areas to be plated. If an electroplating process is to be used, a layer of conductive material underlies the photo-resist layer and is used as a cathode in the plating process. If an electroless plating process is used, the layer of conductive material may be eliminated.
Another known technique for forming a thin film magnetic transducer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,640 to Hahn. It utilizes magnetically permeable foil having grooves and a predetermined pattern formed therein which is adapted to receive deposited insulator and conductor material therein and which results in the foil member acting as both a portion of the magnetic transducer and as a pattern which determines the geometrical shape, width, and depth of the deposited layers.
Another known technique utilizes plating through a mask with a conductive material to form plated layers of magnetic insulating and conductive materials which define a plated layer magnetic transducer.